Letter: Kamloops Film Society should not screen Unplanned

As a longtime supporter of the Kamloops Film Society, I was shocked and saddened by its decision to screen and promote Unplanned, an American anti-choice propaganda film full of lies about abortion and health care.

The only reason this film was made (or is being screened) is to undermine women, trans and non-binary people’s right to bodily autonomy.

By agreeing to screen and promote this film — and accepting money for doing so — the Kamloops Film Society has sent a clear message to the community that it thinks women, trans and nonbinary people’s right to bodily autonomy is up for debate.

If you agree that our rights are not up for debate, I urge you to write to the Kamloops Film Society Board and ask it to reconsider and reverse its decision.

I also urge you to make a public comment on the issue so women, trans and non-binary people in our community know they have some community support.

Anti-choice events like this can cause such distress for people who have had abortions. When the rest of the community doesn’t rally to support them, the isolation, fear and stigma they experience increases.

Until now, the KFS has always been such a wonderful part of this community. However, this decision is a serious, and dangerous, misstep.

The KFS is trying to claim this is about censorship, but it isn’t. As a community group, it has no obligation to show any film, especially one that targets specific members of the community and will cause them harm and distress.

It is cynical and disingenuous for the film society to claim otherwise.

It can choose to have policies that ensure films it agrees to screen do not cause harm to community members.

Until the film society rethinks its policies, it doesn’t deserve my support.